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(N0 ModeL R. D. THAGK-STON.

SELF CLOSING HATGHWAY. No. 315,083. Patented Apr. 7, 1885.

N. PEIERS, Phawunm n hcr. Wuhmglon. n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD D. THAOKSTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF TO HENRY I. (JOE, OF SAME PLACE.

SELF-CLOSING HATCHWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 815,083, dated April 7, 1885.

Application filed May 31, 1884. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD D. THACK- sToN, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and 5 useful Improvement in Self-Closing Hatchways, of which the following is a full,.clea-r, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this Specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a section taken on line 1 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3 3, Fig. 1; and Fig. a is an enlarged perspeotive View.

This invention relates to an improvement in self-closing hatchways, and is more particularly intended for fast-running elevators.

This invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cage; B, uprights; G, doors, and D cams on the bottom of the cage.

I represents a lever on one end of a shaft, J, 25 secured to a suitable post or support, L, by a bracket, L, or by other suitable means.

On the inner end of the lever I is a frictionroller, I, against which the cam D bears in opening the door. The outer end of the lever I is connected by a rod, N, to an arm, N, on the end of a shaft, 0, connected to the sup port L by a bracket, 0'. The arm is connected by means of a rope or chain, P, to the -door 0, and thus it will be seen that as the inner end of the lever I is pressed downward the door will be opened. The mechanism for opening the two doorsis the same, and therefore I have only described one of them. The rope or chain P preferably passes under a roller or pulley, P, secured to the support L.

To check the door and prevent it closing too violently, I place a spiral spring, U, around the shaft J, connecting one end to the shaft by a collar, U, and forming an extension, U

on the other end that bears or rests on a pin, 5 Y, projecting from the lever I inside of the bracket.

In order that the spring will not prevent the door closing quickly the first part of the way, I secure a projection, V, to the bracket 5c L, against which the spring comes, so that it does not follow the lever all the way down, and then as the lever comes back the pin Y engages the spring, which then acts upon the door to cause it to close gently.

A stop-pin, X, may be placed on the outer part of the lever, which will come against the bracket L, as shown in Fig. 4, to prevent the door from quite closing, to avoid the noise that is incident to the entire closing of the door. or All this spring mechanism could be applied to the shaft 0 and arm 0.

I claim as my inventionl. In a self-closing hatchway, a check or stop to hold the door in suspension, in com- 6 bination with a door, cage, and devices for opening the door as the cage ascends and descends.

2. In a self-closing hatchway, the combination of the cage, lever I, support to which the 7 lever is secured by a shaft and bracket, arm 0, rod connecting the arm to the lever, door, rope or chain connecting the door to the arm, and roller or pulley under which the rope or chain passes, substantially as set forth. 7

3. In a self-closing hatchway, the combination of the cage, lever I, shaft J, connected to a suitable support, spring U, secured by one end to the shaft, pin Y on the arm, against which an extension of the arm bears, stop pro- 8 jection V, and stop-pin X, arm 0, rod N, door 0, and chain or cord P, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

RICHARD D. THAGKSTON.

In presence of GEO. H. KNIGHT, BENJN. A. KNIGHT. 

